Jô Hayabusa
Jô Hayabusa (ジョウ・ハヤブサ Jou Hayabusa) or Joe Hayabusa and Ken Hayabusa in the American NES Ninja Gaiden, is Ryu's father and the current leader of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan. He appears in Ninja Gaiden (NES) and Ninja Gaiden 2/Sigma2. Personality Jôe Hayabusa is a selfless ninja, he would sacrifice himself for the greater good without a second thought. Highly disciplined and a skilled ninja warrior, Jôe constantly trains to attain greater power. He is also wise and battle hardened from having fought many battles in his lifetime. Although he originally entrusted his son with the Dragon Sword for safe keeping, to his astonishment Ryu had mastered it proficiently during the Dark Dragon Blade Incident, satisfied Jôe is able to part with the sword for good, reassured that it's in good hands. Jôe is very knowledgeable in history, the ninja arts and ancient relics, this trait may have been passed on to his son as well, who later opens a curio shop. Family & Friends In his immediate family Joe's only son is Ryu Hayabusa. His brother in-law is Murai went rouge from the clan. Joe's other family is his clan, as leader of the Hayabusa Clan. He is also acquainted with Dr. Walter Smith, an American archeologist. Appearance Jôe is a middle age man with a large muscular build. His ninja attire of choice is a white shinobi shozoku, or ninja uniform, although with some armor. This costume is an alternative download costume for Ryu in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. Jô also has a battle scar on his cheek, a sign that he has fought many intense battles in his life time. Abilities Jôe is the epitome of a Dragon Ninja, with strength legendary even for one of the Dragon Linage. Much like his son Ryu, he is highly skilled in combat in both ninja acrobatics and swordsmanship. Even when injured, he is still able to hold his own against powerful foes such as Genshin. History Ninja Gaiden Joe Hayabusa is mentioned by Murai in the beginning as being away in training in the sacred wilderness. Ryu is left in charge of protecting the Ryuken, with the Dark Dragon Blade, and the Eye of the Dragon safeguarded in the Hayabusa village. Although horrified at what took place in his absence, he is also proud as he witnesses his son's high skill and proficiency with the Dragon Sword. Joe is then ready to part with the sword, passing it down to his son, as in the tradition of the Dragon Lineage, the Dragon Sword is passed down through every generation, from Dragon Ninja to the next Dragon Ninja. Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword Having not returned from the sacred wilderness yet, Joe is briefly mentioned in the game, by Genjiro a Hayabusa Ninja veteran who has fought alongside Joe, and by Omitsu who writes a letter to Joe, commenting on how his son Ryu has grown up. The Vampire War The comic book starts as Joe is battling a Vampire Fiend in an urban city. At first it looks like Joe has the upper hand as he dodges an attack, flying bird flip up two buildings and Izuna Drops the Vampire smashing into a car, but the Vampire gets up and catches him off guard. Ryu then enters to assist his father and together they defeat the Vampire, however Joe leaves the battle injured, which worries the Hayabusa village as Momiji asked about his condition while waiting with the other ninjas. Ninga Gaiden 2 Joe is still recovering from his last encounter. While Ryu fights the Black spider clan in Tokyo, Genshin and a large number of Spider Ninja attack the Hayabusa village and set the Castle of the Dragon on fire. Joe waits in the top tower of the castle, protecting the Demon Statue. Genshin brakes in and engages Joe in a duel to the death. After a long battle, Joe is knocked over ledge with debris falling over him as his son entered to the room, Genshin then attempts to finish off the Dragon Lineage as he fights Ryu. However Joe survives, and after a freeing himself he gets back to the floor above and rejoins the battle. Joe tells Ryu to go after Elizébet who has the Demon Statue, as he held off Genshin on his own. In the end Joe manages to survive the battle with Genshin, but he is more injured than before. Bedridden, Joe sent Ayane, a kunoichi from the Hajin Mon sect of the Mugen Tenshin Ninja clan, to retrieve the Eye of the Dragon and deliver it to Ryu. Ninja Gaiden (NES) At the beginning of the story, he engages Bloody Malth in a duel and is defeated. He has left a letter entrusting the family heirloom to his son, Ryu, and telling him to go to America to find Doctor Walter Smith if he fails to return home. Presumed dead, he is later revealed to be alive, under the Jaquio's control as "the masked devil". Joe manages to break free of the spell thanks to Ryu destroying the device controlling his mind. However he sacrifices himself to protect his son, by taking one of the Jaquio's energy bolts aimed at the latter. As the temple collapses from the Demon's defeat, Joe slowly succumbs to his injuries. With his dying breath, Joe tells his son that the time has come to carry on without him, and tells him to be ever brave. Proud of his son, Jo dies in the arms of his distraught son. Other Appearances Ninja Gaiden Arcade Some fans have argued that Joe Hayabusa appeared in the Ninja Gaiden (arcade) game as the 2nd player Red Ninja who assisted Ryu Hayabusa. This is because in the Ninja Gaiden (NES) intro cutscene, the ninja who loses the life or death dual is also a Red Ninja. Category:Characters Category:Ninja Gaiden II Characters Hayabusa Jô Hayabusa Jô